After a disappointing 1-1 draw with Roma at the Etihad, there is little room for error in Moscow with Manchester City in need of a win to keep pace with the Serie A high-flyers and Bayern Munich.

The Citizens beat CSKA home and away in the group stage last season but will be taking nothing for granted after seeing the Muscovites provide stern resistance against Pep Guardiola’s charges in a narrow 1-0 defeat at the Arena Khimki.

Ahead of kick-off, we’ve rolled back the clock, crunched the numbers and undertaken any number of football stats-related clichés to bring you five facts on the teams and the game.

Approximately 1,995 miles stand between Manchester City’s Eastlands home of the Etihad Stadium and CSKA Moscow’s own ground the Arena Khimki.

The average flight time between the two stands at roughly two hours and 55 minutes while travelling by car would take 34 hours without stopping.

Sergio Aguero scored two goals both home and away against CSKA Moscow in the group stages of the Champions League last season and could be among the goals again when the teams meet at Arena Khimki, having scored eight in his last games for the Citizens.

The Argentine scored six goals in the group phase of the competition last term and is already off the mark in Europe this season, having scored the Sky Blues’ only goal last time out against AS Roma.

Only one player has ever featured for both Manchester City and CSKA Moscow in the history of the two clubs. Joao Alves de Assis Silva featured regularly for the Muscovites from 2005 to 2008, scoring 30 goals in 51 games for the club.

He subsequently moved to Manchester City for £19 million in July of 2008 but went on to score just one goal in 21 Premier League appearances for the Sky Blues and after a series of loan spells departed the club for Internacional in 2011.

CSKA Moscow fans may be glad they are banned for the visit of Manchester City – the Russian side are currently on a run of six straight defeats in the Champions League, and have won just one of their last ten games in the competition.

Over the course of those 10 games, CSKA have conceded 28 goals and scored just 10 with Manchester City and Roma putting five past them on two separate occasions while Real Madrid managed four goals on their previous trip to Spain.

Aleksei Berezutski features on a regular basis for CSKA Moscow alongside twin brother Aleksei Berezutski, though the latter is a less frequent starter for the Russian outfit.

Aleksei may have bad memories of Manchester, having previously been suspended from the Champions League after testing positive for a banned substance in the wake of a Champions League tie with Manchester United at Old Trafford.

It was later discovered that the substance in question was the cold and flu decongestant Sudafed and that the club should have reported its use to UEFA. As a result he incurred a one-game European ban, though it was applied retroactively.

Jack Beresford

Jack is a 27-year-old writer with experience in writing about sport in a range of guises. He’s something of a statto when it comes to soccer and has a passion for English football at all levels, as well as Serie A and the Bundesliga.